Michigan State coach Tom Izzo exhibited once again why he is a man of his people with an emotional post-game speech to his Spartans' crowd following the team's 71-61 victory over Northwestern in both teams' regular-season finale.J. Scott Park | MLive.com

EAST LANSING — Michigan State coach Tom Izzo gave the Breslin Center crowd a sampling of the competitive fire and passion that has made him perhaps the most highly regarded coach in the history of the Spartans' athletic programs.

It certainly wasn't planned; his Sunday night speech prefaced his special recognition of outgoing senior Derrick Nix and Nix's family members.

Izzo was merely trying to explain why he could accept Michigan State missing out on a share of the Big Ten title on account of Michigan's collapse against Indiana earlier in the day.

"I want everybody in this building to understand one thing,'' Izzo said, moments after the No. 10 Spartans disposed of Northwestern, 71-61.

"You got yourself a blue-collar coach that's never been given anything,'' Izzo said. "And I don't want anything from anybody else in this state!''

The crowd came to its feet with chers and applause, drowning out Izzo's final words.

It was Izzo's way of saying that getting a share of the Big Ten championship by virtue of Michigan beating an Indiana team that his team did not wouldn't hold the same satisfaction as it would if the Spartans had taken care of business themselves.

"It would have been like Michigan was doing us a favor,'' Izzo later said. "I don't want anybody to have to do us any favors.''

Or, as Izzo told his crowd "We had a chance to do our own thing; we earn and get what we deserve.''

The Spartans (24-7, 13-5 Big Ten) finished in a tie for second place and earned the No. 3 seed for the Big Ten tournament — Ohio State won the tiebreaker and No. 2 seed by virtue of having defeated the top-seeded Hoosiers earlier this season.

Izzo said he was fine with accepting that, but he recognized and understood his players weren't. Especially once they discovered shortly after tipping off against the Wildcats that the Wolverines had failed to hold serve at home.

"In the middle of the first half, I think we were up eight (points), and Derrick says to me, `You gotta help me,' '' Izzo said. "I said to him, `well no kidding, I need some help, too.'

"He said, `No, I just found out Michigan lost,' and I said, `ah, don't let that bother you.' ''

Izzo paused for a moment before continuing.

"And then I thought to myself, are you crazy, are you stupid? Of course it matters to them. I've won seven of these (Big Ten) championships, but some of these guys haven't won one.''

But, as Izzo pointed out, relying on another team — a rival, at that — was not the Michigan State way.

"Sure, I would have liked to have had another Big Ten championship,'' Izzo said. "But I want to get one when I earn it; I don't need anybody else earning it for me.''

Besides, Izzo said, "Indiana has been the best team all year; they probably deserved to win the Big Ten championship.''

Izzo pointed out the discussion might not even have taken place if his team hadn't righted itself against Northwestern after letting the Michigan loss affect them.

"It really kind of had an effect on (Nix), and I think at halftime, on our team,'' Izzo said.

Branden Dawson confirmed as much: "We came in the locker room and everyone was sad; it definitely hurt us a little bit.''

Izzo could see it in his players' eyes, and he immediately addressed the elephant in the halftime locker room.

"At halftime I addressed them and said, `let's not BS anybody,' '' Izzo said. "I said `some of you know we aren't gonna win the Big Ten Championship.'

"No one jumped up and said, `that's OK,' so I knew it was bothering them…even though I told them to worry about what we could control.''

Izzo stressed to the crowd that they needed to appreciate this Michigan State team, even though the record reflects they finished second.

"I don't ever want to get anything through the back door, I'm a bust 'em right through the front door kind of guy, and that's the way we are, and that's the way you are,'' he said, inciting a roar of approval from the crowd. "Don't feel bad because a banner won't be hanging this year, but memories will, and they will be some of the best memories I've had.''